Lucky me. Lucky you. I have a colonoscopy tomorrow. So I'm going to start taking the trilyte stuff that is kind of like super colon blow while I'm writing this post.
So let's get started, shall we?
I had many flavor packets from which to choose, but opted to make my own: a combo of lemon/lime and cherry. Kind of like from a certain nitrate-filled menu of a restaurant I hit on Saturday. Yep, I missed the turn and ended up on da best bank. We were trying to escape Endymion after I got my beads from Jeff Faine, and my cups from Joe Horn and Jamar Nesbit. While there, all the kids passed out, so we hit the Sonic. Joy ensued.
First glass. Man this stuff has a texture like STP.
Jamar Nesbit story: while Mr Oyster and I were engaging him, an attractive young lass was screaming her head off at how much she loved him. When he bent down to shake her hand, she was positively giddy. Somehow, she relayed that her father was in 2 live crew. Mr Nesbit asked whom he was, and she replied, but it was not Mr Skyywalker. Mr Nesbit then replied that "your daddie's music got me in a lot of trouble".
Jeff Faine story: while Mr Oyster and I engaged Mr Faine (basically me screaming JEFF, JEFFFFF at the top of my lungs while leaning on his float), he looked down, saw the ink, and dropped me some beads. As you may recall, Mr Faine is a tattoo aficionado. I later enquired, "Hey Jeff, where would you rather be in February, here or Cleveland?" He just laughed.
Mr Gleason, OTOH, was ravenously eating crawfish, while wearing a leather helmet and aviator goggles. Affixed to these was a Defend New Orleans sticker.
Glass 2. Advice: drink it quickly. Cold helps. I could pour this crap in my crankcase. Don't get any ideas about the crankcase line. It's lent.
There's a big-ass discussion about parade etiquette and ladders and such at Adrastos. Here's my take: moving Endymion back to mid city will help a lot. Hell, I think Carrollton should parade in Carrollton. Do I remember parades on Freret?
This year, my faves were Muses, Thoth, and King Arthur/Carrollton. Muses, cause it's so pretty and the throws are so damned cool. Thoth, because the people that deserve the beads (kids, sick folks, old folks) get the beads. KA/C because they really kicked things off well.
I still don't know why Arthur Hardy won't put Krewe du Vieux in his book. We're a week early, but hey, we kick the damn thing off well.
Speaking of which -- next year's Tuesday costume. One of these three: Ignatius; the mime with a plexiglas shield above my head and the "Buy us back, Chirac" thought bubbles; Drummerman.
Glass 3. Time to put it back in the fridge. Cold is much more tolerable.
Then again, I was talking to some friends in Zulu on Wednesday night. They can definitely get me in, but I don't want to just be a rider, I want to be a member. We're working on it. So many of their members left, but many are coming back. So if I'm riding Zulu on Tuesday, I don't know if I'll be doing anything else but that.
More on drummerman as it develops.
Our carnival this year was spent mostly around Prytania and Nappy Leon. However, on MG Day, we were at Mr Ray's. Perfect. Ray made some fine gumbo and some astonishingly good etouffee. The drinks flowed, and all were happy. I made some friends on the neutral ground with some guys who drove down from South Carolina. One of the guys had a Saints tattoo on one bicep, and a FdL on the other. I told him to show it off to the float riders, and he'd be rewarded. He did, and he was.
They also made some fine, fine BBQ. The best I've had in NOLA. His secret: parboiling them the night before in a brine spiked with Zatarain's. They were really, really good. Unfortunately, Ms. Hyster's has dropped in quality since the federal flood, so there isn't one place I like to frequent. The Joint has good pulled pork, but their sauce isn't my fave. Leatha's or nothing.
Glass 4: when this does happen, it won't be pretty.
As far as ladders, well, we've got 3 kids and need a ladder. I have no problem with moving the ladders back a bit. One problem is that the Muses riders don't quite have Drew Brees' arm. I like the idea of eliminating huge swaths of ladders next to each other, and roping and staking off huge plots of the neutral ground. If we could all just be a bit more considerate, well, I digress.
Uh...I'll be right back...
That was interesting. Of course, I've had my gall bladder removed, so I'm used to some of that. Yecchhh. Glass 5.
One thing that irks GBitch is the lack of recycling, and how it doesn't appear to even be on the horizon. Carnival, though, is probably our best example of recycling. I got a 2002 Rex doubloon from the Rex parade. Best overheard quote on Rex, and their lack of beads: "They didn't get to be in Rex by being generous".
The truck parades recycle like you wouldn't believe. Good for them. My kids loved the truck parades. As a friend once put it: "If you aren't tired of beads by the time the truck parades start rolling, you will be afterwards". They were.
Glass 6. I'm gonna be up all night with this stuff.
In case you're wondering what we're doing with our voluminous throws, here goes: 1) Krewe du Vieux next year. I carry a big bag filled with our KdV throws, recycled beads, and stuffed animals. If a kid shows up at Kdv, that kid deserves a stuffed animal. To hell with the "keep the kids at home". 2) da Wife is doing some kind of art project. 3) A blogger to be named later parades on or around March 17. He's getting a boatload of green beads to recycle.
Glass 7. Yeah, I'm not just blogging. I'm also catching up on Frasier. Welcome to my life.
Mr. Dilly had a party for Thoth, and it was wonderful. The food that we get from our friends during carnival has been magnificent.
I'd really like to have some food now, but it's time for glass 8. Feh.
Uh oh...I'll be back.
Get your jazzfest posters while you can. The people printing them now make you order them online, rather than picking them up. So I forked out $20 or something for shipping. From Metry. I'm going to have the Congo Square poster from this year up on the wall. I dunno 'bout Jerry Lee.
Glass 9. Tomorrow, I'm going to have some nice buffalo wings. Something I can chew.
This has probably been my fave carnival ever. I'll post some pix of all 3 kids strapped into the ladder of doom. I asked my oldest "Did you like Mardi Gras?". She said yes, and I then asked her why, and she said "Because it's my favorite holiday!"
I got cool kids, no?
Great times, great friends, great food, great memories. Although, last year's carnival, the first one post-federal flood, was more cathartic than a profanity-laced rant. And mime-boy was born, so there's that.
It's glass 10, and I don't have anything else to say 'bout carnival. 'cept if you live in NOLA, and you were saying you were going to move after Mardi Gras, then if you feel you can do it, go ahead. After all, Super Sunday is coming up soon. Then there's FQ fest. Then jazzfest (New Edition!). Then satchmofest. 'Course, there's the Zephyrs season, and the fairgrounds. And the Saints start up right after that. And where do you want to be for Thanksgiving besides here? Oh, don't forget Christmas in New Orleans. So, enjoy.
I've been waiting for the Perfesser's post, but I understand the time delay. Like the money quote about Rex. The worst part of the procedure is the gas. But the polyticians have been providing plenty of it to get you used to the feeling.
Posted by: Marco | 23 February 2007 at 07:37 AM
Maybe next year, I'll have my tat, and you can join Zulu and I expect a coconut. That is why you are going to join isn't it?
Posted by: saintseester | 23 February 2007 at 07:39 AM
That was worth the wait. Next year I'm going dressed as a ladder so I can get closer to the front.... Nah I'll probably just go as Sammy again.
Posted by: jeffrey | 23 February 2007 at 09:17 AM
I hope it all comes out okay.
Posted by: Ray Ward | 23 February 2007 at 09:18 AM
Nooooooooo!! Don't do it, man! Don't drink the Kool-aid!
Posted by: Carmen | 23 February 2007 at 11:54 AM
Thank you for bringing us into your life a la Katie Couric. Good luck with the backside.
Posted by: oyster | 23 February 2007 at 12:04 PM
You know what they say about the best medicine. So have a chaser (but, please, not 10 glasses worth in your case):
http://chasing-fireflies.com/prodinfo.asp?number=23925&top=
Posted by: Carmen | 23 February 2007 at 12:27 PM
If I can get the video, it'll be a podcast.
Posted by: ashley | 23 February 2007 at 12:36 PM
Um..um...up yours. There I finally said it. That felt good.
Posted by: Adrastos | 23 February 2007 at 03:28 PM
Hey Ashley! You should get a kick out of this: http://neworleans.craigslist.org/wan/282069701.html
Posted by: Aaron | 23 February 2007 at 03:37 PM
Deal: You can be Ignatius if I'm not back by next year. Otherwise, I must, with all due respect, claim to be paramount.
Remember the woman artist at Twelfth Night who was about eight sheets to the wind? Well, she told me I reminded her of "Ignatius O'Reilly". Silly me. I tried to stay in character, rather than responding "But the question is, do you remind me of Myrna minx?".
Way back when I lived in town, a friend named Velvet (really) wanted to cast me as Ignatius in the movie version of Dunces. I even used it as my handle on a now-defunct rebuilding board. So there.
Your Hawaiian phrase of the day: Malama pono (take care of yourself).
Posted by: KamaAina | 23 February 2007 at 03:48 PM
I think next year you should costume as Liz Smith -- great, newsy post!
I worked for a GI doc for 8 years....our motto was "Butts and guts R us"
Wishing you a polyp-free exam!
Posted by: TM | 23 February 2007 at 05:42 PM
Me too. Down with polyps!
Posted by: Varg | 23 February 2007 at 06:24 PM
I somehow felt that cleaning out the colon would somehow bring out the Lenten stuff in all of you New Orleanians.
Posted by: Marco | 23 February 2007 at 08:04 PM
Heh, does this mean you will TRULY become the Assman, a la "Seinfeld"?
You gonna get license plates?
Posted by: liprap | 23 February 2007 at 08:59 PM
Carmen, I'm good on fairy dust. Hey, Marco, wasn't that a Gil Scott Heron song?
I got scoped 3 years ago, and it wasn't that bad. This one wasn't as uneventful. I felt like a bomb about to go off. Afterwards, I felt like Mr. Creosote. But all is well.
No personalized plates for me. Except, I wonder if I could get a FYYFF plate?
Aaron, I'll call the guy up and give him a couple of "get out of jail free cards" and Edwards post cards.
KamaAina, the only Hawai'ian I know is "Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana", courtesy of Warren Zevon. And we'll have a lucky dog eating contest to determine who gets to be Ignatius.
Posted by: ashley | 24 February 2007 at 01:42 AM
3) Take another look at the fotgoae and the way people are conducting themselves. Having a great time, doing the costume thing, saying farwell to the flesh before Lent. But NOT being obscene, obnoxious, or causing others to feel a need to be concerned for their safety or the safety of our children. It doesnt matter where you stand on the route in New Orleans, if the thugs havent shown up en masse before you get there, wait 5-10 minutes and a crowd will show.
Posted by: Saeed | 05 May 2012 at 09:57 PM
I'm not saying dont go to Mardi Gras. If you hanevt been, PLEASE COME!! Join in our unique bachanalin gathering, experinece the magic of our city, and PUT YOU SOUL IN THE HANDS OF OUR MUSIC, but dont come down here and act like an ass b/c you saw it in the movies or tv. Read up on the history and understand that we respect your house when we come over, please respect ours.
Posted by: Marlise | 05 May 2012 at 11:20 PM
YES, Mardi Gras (& New Orleans) is still ALIVE and kicking. YES, its still a huge clerbeation for thousands and a good time ..But anyone who thinks its still the same needs to wake up and do some self education on the true history behind what USED TO BE a wonderfull clerbeation of community and tradition, but lately seems to have been reduced to the level of Spring Break or a rock festival.
Posted by: Jessica | 06 May 2012 at 07:15 AM
Mardi Gras lives on .America's greatest free event thnaks for posting; I agree, it looks the same on Canal St .do you have any footage on St. Charles Ave.? PPl please come to New Orleans and help it thrive again it is not just about flashing ..it is a wonderful celebration before Lent .thanks again
Posted by: Tess | 06 May 2012 at 11:21 PM